Research suggests that the internal working climate that [teams] foster is an
important part of their success. . . . [Teams] handling conflict effectively are more likely to generate creative solutions, encourage needed changes, and avoid 'groupthink.'10

Evaluating your team's working environment can include assessing whether your team has a shared interagency mission, the effectiveness of its decisionmaking process, and the ways that it manages conflict. A process evaluation would provide important information about where changes are needed to improve the team's functioning.

Consider asking team members the following questions when evaluating your team's working environment:

To what degree has the team developed a shared mission?

___

The mission is supported by all team members.

___

Team members have a shared vision regarding needed changes in the community's response to sexual violence.

___

Team members have a shared understanding of sexual violence.

___

Team members are working together to achieve a common goal.

To what degree do members feel their input informs team decisionmaking?

___

The input of all active SART members influences team decisions.

___

When making decisions, the team is respectful of all viewpoints.

___

The team does not move forward until all ideas are considered.

___

If a team member disagrees with the group, his or her perspective is valued.

To what degree are disagreements handled effectively?

___

Disagreements among team members are often resolved by compromise.

___

Conflict among team members leads to effective problem solving.

___

When conflict arises, the team ignores it.

___

Conflict has created opportunities for open discussion among members.

___

Disagreements typically stifle the progress of the team.

___

When faced with conflict, team members agree to disagree.

___

The team handles conflict by attempting to get to the root of the problem.

___

Conflicting opinions among team members have led to needed changes.

___

The team has avoided addressing diverse viewpoints on the team.

When surveying team members, make sure to maximize confidentiality so that all members feel free to candidly share their beliefs about how the team functions.

The Root Cause

There are many different ways that disagreements can be handled. In general, getting to the root of the problem is thought to be the most effective strategy. Compromising, agreeing to disagree, or ignoring conflict is commonly employed by teams, but they are not always effective because they often leave root causes unresolved.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure can refer to how your team is organized, who your team members are, and how effective your team leadership is. Assessing infrastructure is important because there is a positive correlation between organizational capacity and team effectiveness.

Determine whether the team is organized by asking team members the following questions: Does the team have—

___

Written agendas for team meetings?

___

Agendas distributed prior to team meetings?

___

Written goals and objectives?

___

Regular meetings?

___

Written interagency role descriptions?

___

Subcommittees or workgroups (e.g., evaluation subcommittee)?

___

Established methods for decisionmaking?

___

Established methods for problem-solving and conflict resolution?

___

Established monitoring and evaluation methods?

___

Training opportunities for new and old members?

___

Methods for new member orientation?

___

Methods for including victims' viewpoints?

Determine the adequacy and involvement of the team's membership by asking members to rate the level of participation by each agency and the level of training and expertise among SART members.

Determine whether leadership is effective by asking team members to rate the following statements regarding team leadership:

___

Is committed to the SART's mission.

___

Has appropriate time to devote to administering the SART.

___

Plans activities effectively and efficiently.

___

Is knowledgeable in the area of sexual violence.

___

Is flexible in accepting different viewpoints.

___

Promotes equality and collaboration among members.

___

Is skilled in organizational management.

___

Works within influential political and community networks.

___

Is competent in negotiating, solving problems, and resolving conflict.

___

Is attentive to individual members' concerns.

___

Is effective in managing meetings.

___

Is skilled in obtaining resources.

___

Values members' input.

___

Recognizes members for their contributions.

Activities

In conducting a process evaluation of your SART's activities, you will be asking team members to gauge their satisfaction with the team's activities. For example, you may want to ask your SART members the following questions:

To what degree have team efforts increased the exchange of information, resources, and client referrals?

To help answer this question, you could create a survey that lists the number of times per month that team members communicate across agencies. For example, team members might record and report how many times per month they have contacted interdisciplinary agencies, referred victims, or received referrals (see sample survey below).

Name of Agency (completing form) _______________________________

Agency Name

Number of Times I Exchanged Information

Number of Referrals I Gave

Number of Referrals I Received

Rape crisis center

3

5

1

SANE program

5

1

3

Faith-based organization

1

1

0

Law enforcement

1

3

1

To what degree have team efforts increased service providers' knowledge of community resources?

You may want to develop a process survey to determine team members' understanding of available community services. Consider the following services: